Hull are the side to keep an eye on in Championship promotion race

Three straight wins have moved the Tigers just three points behind the leaders

Hull’s 3-0 win over Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield was their third in succession and the Humberside club are looking excellent promotion prospects at this stage of the season.

A price of 7/1 says Steve Bruce’s side will be crowned champions of English football’s second tier in May, yet a more realistic 15/8 says they’ll be one of the three clubs that will earn the right to play Premier League football in the 2013/14 campaign.

Their flawless last three games contribute to a run of nine wins in their last 13. This is better form than any of the four other leading promotion contenders (Cardiff, Leicester, Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, according to the betting, at least) have managed across the same period and if the Tigers can maintain this consistency then a top-two berth is guaranteed.

At present, Hull sit fourth in the Championship table, just three points off the pace and a testing festive schedule will determine their staying credentials for the remainder of the campaign.

They travel to Derby next before hosting Leicester and Leeds, both of whom harbour promotion designs of their own, followed by a New Year’s Day trip to Blackpool.

If they can remain in touch with the chasing pack after this potentially difficult run of matches, their 15/8 price will definitely come in for shortening.

With six away wins to their name, no side can better their record on the road this season, while only three teams have conceded fewer goals on their own patch than Hull have.

In Robert Koren they have one of the finest attacking midfield players to ply his trade outside of the Premier League and Jay Simpson and Sone Aluko grant them pace in abundance up top.

If they can acquire a goal-getting hitman to supplement these valuable attacking qualities in January then it’ll be a big surprise to see Hull fail to make it back into the Premier League come the end of the season.